Material holder



June l 1926,

. 1,587,181 G. o.A PoMERoY ET AL- MATERIAL HOLDER Filed Nov. 28, 1924 @waa @Wazaumen,v

Patented June 1, 1926.

3; i meriti GEORGE O.?POMEROY, OF LAKEWOOD, .AND ARTHUR L. SWARTZ, O CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MATERAL HOLDER.

Application filed November 28, 192e. Serial No. 752,729. f

This invention relates to -devices for use `by .tai'lors and seamstresses for the purposeof holding; one end of a piece of fabric so .as to facilitate hand sewing thereon.

It vis one of the objects of the invention ,to .provide `a device that may be-conveniently voperated and which may be fastened on a workbench, or other support, and which is adapted to hold various kinds of fabric without injury to them. A further object is to provide .a dev-ice of very simple and inexpensive construction that will occupy only a very small amount of space and which :may be readily adapted to diiferent locations. e

Other iobjects and the features of novelty will be apparent from the following,` description, taken Ain .connection with the accompanying drawings, of which .Figure 1 is .a vertical section through a niateriad holder .embodying` our invention, ythe holder .being shown in position on a work bench.; .and

Fig. :2 is -a horizontal section ou the line .il-210i' L1.

Referring .to `the drawings, 10 indicates a .work .bench or other support and 11 the .floor-of the room in which the bench is located. It will be understood that the bench l1() will be .located at the customary height .above the floor. Our iin-proved material holder con'rprises `a housing' 12, preferably of tubular form having` a base iiauge 13 which is .adapted .to be secured on the bench 10 by screws '141. Projecting upwardly 'from one :side .of the housing;` 12, and preferably formed integral therewith. is a 'bracket 15 having a portion 16 which overhanns the tubular lipa/rit Aof the housing 12 and which is preferably iof circular iforfm.. AL plunger comprising' a head 17 and a tubular eXtension 18, is slidably arranged in the tubular part 12 of the housing, the head 17 beingpreferably of circular form and cooperating with the overhang'inn' port-ion 16 of the bracket to form a pair of jaws adapted to grip the material which is to be held.

The head 17 of the plunger is slightly shorter than the dist-ance between the overhangingr part 16 of the bracket and the up- ;er end 19 of the housing, so that the head may be slipped into this opening' and then the tubular extension 18 inserted through the lower end of the housing and telescoped has a `central .opening 22. The 'cover 22 is l jireferably provided with an upturned central flange 211 which is adapted to receive the lower end of the spring` 21 and hold the latter in its proper .position in alignment with `the plunger. If desired the plate 22 .may be omitted and the spring 21 allowed to engage the upper surface ofthe bench 10.

The spring 21 ,presses the plunger head 17 against the overhaligging` part 16 of thc 4lnacket and, in order to be able to securely Vhold the fabric between these parts without injury to the fabric. Awe prefer to 'face the gripping` surfaces with sandpaper disks '25, These sandpaper disks may be glued to the opposed faces of the plunger and the over hanging `port-ion 16 of the bracket, and we have :found that ythese disks-serve to efficiently hold .the fabric without damagingiti even when the device isuse-d for 'holding' delicate silks. y

vAt 26 we have indicated a `piece of fabric being clamped7 at one end, by the jaws of the holding' device and the other end being held by a 4hand which is indicated at 27. This leaves one hand of the operator free to use a needle so that the holding device, in eiiect, acts as a third hand and eliminates the -objectionable practice of pinning` the fabric to the operator-s clothing, at the knee, which has heretofore been prevalent in 'gan nient working establishments.

For the pur-pose of conveniently opening,` the jaws of the holding'device, we prefer to use a pedal 28 having one end secured to the `floor 11 by an ordinary door hinge 29, or in any other suitable manner, the opposite end of the pedal being` elevated and in position to be engaged by the foot of the operator which is indicated at SO. The pedal 28 is preferably made of a piece of wood and carries on its upper side a hook 31. to which the lower end of a chain 3Q is attached, this chain passingy through an opening` 33, in the bench 10. and having; its upper end connected with the plunger. In the embodiment of our invention that is illustrated, we provide a connection between the chain and the plunger, by having the upper link of the chain engage the pin 20, as will be clearly understood from Fig. l.

In the operation of the device, the jaws are first opened by the operator depressing the pedal 28, the fabric being then inserted between the jaws and, the pressure on the pedal being removed, the spring 2l will close the jaws and grip the material. To release the material it is only necessary for the operator to depress the pedal 28.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. In a device of the class described, the c-ombinating of a housing adapted to be secured to a support and comprising a tubular portion angl a bracket overhanging Said tubular portion, a plunger slidable in said tubular portion and cooperating with said bracket to `form jaws adapted to grip the material to be held, a spring arranged within said tubular portion and cooperating with said plunger to press the latter against said bracket, an operating lever, and means eX- tending through said tubular portion and connecting said lever with said plunger and whereby the lever is adapted to withdraw the plunger `from engagement with said bracket.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a housing adapted to be secured to a support and comprising a tubular portion and a bracket overhanging said tubular portion, a plunger slid-able in said tubular portion and cooperating with said bracket to forni jaws adapted to grip the material to be held, said jaws having their cooperating faces covered with abrasive material, aspring arranged within said tubular portion and cooperating with said plunger to close said jaws, an operating lever, and means extending through said tubular portion and connecting said lever with said plunger and whereby the lever is adapt-ed to open said jaws.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a support having an opening therethrough, a housing mounted on said support and having a plunger opening in substantial alignment with the opening in the support, said housing having a bracket overhanging said plunger opening, a plunger slidable in said plunger opening and cooperating with said bracket to forni jaws adapted to grip the material to be held, a spring arranged within said plunger opening and cooperating with said plunger to close said aws, an operating lever pivotally mounted below said support, and connecting means attached to said lever and said plunger and extending through the opening in said support and whereby said lever is adapted to open said jaws.

4l. In a device ot the class described, the combination of a housing having a tubular portion and a bracket integral therewith overhanging said tubular portion, a tubular plunger slida-ble in said housing' and having one end arranged to cooperate with said bracket to l'orm jaws adapted to grip the material 'to be held, said jaws having their cooperating 'faces covered with abrasive ma terial, a coil. spring having one end within said plunger and adapted to close said jaws, and operating means ior opening said jaws coinjirising an element extending longitudinally through said spring and attached to the interior of said plunger. i

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a housing having a tubular portion and a bracket integral therewith overhanging said tubular portion, a tubular plunger slidable in said housing and having onel end arranged to cooperate with said bracket to form jaws adapted to grip the material to be held, plate secured on the end of said housing opposite said jaws and having an opening, a coil spring having one end within said plunger and its other end in engagement with Said plate and whereby said jaws are closed, and operating means for opening said jaws comprising an element extending through the opening in said plate and longitudinally through said spring` and att-ached to said plunger.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

GEORGE O. POMEROY. ARTHUR L. SVARTZ. 

